Fullers Defend Ferry Rises

in General by Jon C — September 24, 2010 at 3:37 pm | 2 comments

Fullers insists it’s an “unfortunate commercial reality” that the company has to increase Waiheke Island fares, from October 1.
The new fares take into account the 2.5% GST increase but also add in other increases it says is due to operational and maintenance costs.

It blames:

• an 18% rise in the cost of fuel since March 2009
• a 6% increase in labour costs over the last 2 years
• increasing vessel maintenance costs
• the introduction of the Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

Under the new fare schedule, most one way and return fares will include non-GST increases ranging between 0.4 and 2.5%.

Customers using multi-trip tickets, including the 10 and 40 trip tickets and monthly passes, face non-GST increases ranging from 0.4 - 3.3 per cent, with the exception of the tertiary 10 trip pass which is being increased by 8.7 per cent so that it is more closely aligned with the level of discount offered on tertiary fares in the public transport sector.

Douglas Hudson, CEO, Fullers Group Ltd. said: “It is an unfortunate commercial reality that the price of ferry fares needs to reflect rising operational costs.

“Fares need to take into account the higher GST rate and Fullers is now reluctantly faced with having to further increase Waiheke Island fare revenue by at least 2.2 per cent to balance the rising costs involved with operating these services. So some fares will increase to reflect the GST increase, but others will rise a bit more to provide some of the required revenue increase, while the off-island fare has been left at its current price to benefit Waiheke Island residents.”

Tags: ARTA fare increases Fullers GST waiheke Waiheke gerry